Proteas Women kick off World Cup preparations with training camp in Tshwane

Mashimbyi and his staff are looking to implement their coaching philosophies and approach, while putting the players through their paces in intense fitness and skills sessions at the CSA Centre of Excellence in Tshwane which will run until Friday.

The squads consists of 17 players with the quartet of Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon and captain Laura Wolvaardt missing the camp due to their involvement in the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) in India. 

Mashimbyi said: "What's going to be important for us is get the players to understand their own abilities and where they can actually improve their abilities and also upskill.

"Hopefully, in the next four days when they get out of this camp, they've got a better understanding of what they bring to the table and what is it that they need to go back and work on in the next few months.

"This first camp for me was going to be important for them to understand my vision, where I would like them to be and what we want to achieve with what we have. The one question that I've asked the players was, 'What does it mean to be a Protea?'.

"I think that will get them thinking and they will understand what are the needs instead of the wants and then they can really focus on the needs to make sure that they leave no stone unturned from a prep point of view, a training point of view and a skills development point of view as well.

"They need to be vulnerable enough to know where they're strong, to know where they're weak and then we can create the platform for them to improve in those aspects."

Sharing his thoughts on the make-up of the squad selected for his first national camp, Mashimbyi highlighted the type of cricketer he is looking to work with during his tenure.

The head coach added: "I think the biggest thing for me is to try and get to know the players a little bit better.

"That's going to be key, engaging with them throughout the camp, trying to understand where their games are at and what they think about their own game and then hopefully during those conversations one or two comments could actually be the thing that activates them to a point where they feel, I need to beef up here, I need to beef up there, which for me is important.

"I'm looking for players that are always looking to be better versions of themselves. So hopefully by the end of the four days, the ladies will have gained a little bit more." 

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